


Welcome to Despair

by ColeTReed



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-01
Packaged: 2018-01-07 02:51:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1114611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColeTReed/pseuds/ColeTReed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>-A Dangan Ronpa AU-</p><p>Synopsis:  Finding himself in a terrifying situation, Ray Narvaez Jr. is faced with a horrible choice.  Either spend the rest of his life within the confines of high school, or murder one of his classmates.  Though more disturbing then that is the fact that…  His friends are killing each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Despair

_To:  Ray Narvaez Jr._

_Congratulations!  Based on your superior skill in the field of **Gaming** , you have been selected to attend the prestigious Glitterbound Academy.  Our school exists to foster the natural talents of our nation’s brightest minds, and to elevate each student’s skill to their maximum potential.  _

_Tuition, room and board, meal plans, and all school-related amenities will be paid for in full._

_Please respond to our letter by December 31st, 2013.  Classes will begin on August 1st, 2014._

_We look forward to hearing from you._

_-Geoffrey Ramsey ; School Headmaster_

 

_______________

 

August 1st, 2014 - Glitterbound Academy / New York, New York

 

Glitterbound Academy, in the heart of the largest city in the United States, the recently build Dawn City, in the state of New York, was the single greatest feat of architectural engineering the world had ever seen.  Seven floors high, the academy was large enough to fit over three hundred students, quite easily.  State of the art laboratories, peerless computing, and enough physical equipment to meet any and all needs.  The dorms, as photographs in brochures had shown, were akin to deluxe suites in the finest of hotels.

Despite the amazing accommodations and funding, however, only fifteen students would ever see within its walls, and would be living within them for the next year, until the Summer Break.  

The fifteen students selected were, for all intents and purposes, the best and brightest in the nation.  

Standing outside the walls, one of those fifteen was looking up at the tall building in wonder.

Ray Narvaez Jr, a sixteen year old male of short stature, with unremarkable features, and a shockingly pale skin for one of Hispanic descent, was gulping loudly.  With his bag slung over his shoulder, containing only a handful of portable games, he sighed.

“Seven fifty-five.  I’m supposed to meet at the gymnasium at eight o’clock on the dot for the morning assembly.  I guess…  I guess I better get going!,” Ray exclaimed optimistically.  

Without a single care in the world, he dashed into the school gate.

Though as he did, an overwhelming sensation of vertigo overtook him.  Within an inch of the gate, he had to stop and hold his head tightly.  Everything was going blurry, and the world was spinning.  

Dropping his bag, Ray soon fell beside it, on his knees.  

“What’s…  What’s happening to me?!,” he thought, slowly losing consciousness as the world faded to black.

 

________________

 

??? - Classroom ; ????

 

Slowly, Ray rose his head up.  Taking in his surroundings, he could clearly see that he was inside a typical classroom.  Sixteen desks were lined up in neat rows of four.  A blackboard had complicated mathematics equations scribbled all over it.  The smell of dry erase markers was overwhelming.  

“Where the fuck am…,” Ray asked himself, slowly rising up.  His thought, unfortunately, was cut short as he saw a terrifying sight.  Bolting the windows shut was what could only be described as….

“A steel plate?!,” Ray thought to himself.  

Walking towards it, he banged on it as hard as he could.  Though as he’d predicted, the windows were bolted shut with pure steel.

There was, quite literally, no way in, and no way out.

“GOOOOOD MORNING!,” shouted a rather obnoxious man’s voice.

Turning his head around, Ray saw in the top corner of the room that a TV had turned itself on.  Sitting in front of a school banner, and older male of a rather large stature, with thick glasses and pure black hair had an insatiable grin on his face.

“My name is Gustavo Sorola.  But because I’m a nice headmaster, you can call me Gus!,” the man exclaimed proudly.  

Walking to get a better look at the screen, Ray popped himself on top of a desk and watched the events unfold.

“Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Glitterbound Academy, the home for the nation’s GREATEST students in the world!,” Gus said enthusiastically.  As he said the words, fifteen photos popped up on the screen.  

Ray recognized them immediately as his classmates.  They had all exchanged FaceBook contacts before school started, and he’d chummed up a friendly relationship with several of them already.

“Though I’m afraid…  Things here are going to be a LITTLE different than we promised in the brochure!,” Gus said, in an almost “too” innocent voice.  

“Different?,” Ray thought.

As if he’d read the boy’s mind, Gus nodded.  “That’s right!  DIFFERENT!  You see, the rules of this academy are as follows!,” he said playfully.  As he did, the screen changed to a rule list that Ray quickly scanned over.

 

 

_1)  As of today, you are forbidden from leaving the campus grounds.  Contact with the outside world is not permitted.  From henceforth, you shall spend the rest of your lives inside this academy with your fellow classmates.  You may not leave, or see your families again as long as you live!_

“WHAT?!,” Ray shouted immediately, hearing Gus read aloud the rules.  As he’d read it aloud, the words quickly washed over Ray, and a cold pit began forming inside his stomach.

 

_2)  For those who find this unsatisfactory, there is one way to reverse this rule.  Which is to, naturally, “GRADUATE” from our academy!_

 

Ray sighed in relief.  “Oh…  it was a joke!,” he said to himself, laughing heartily.  

 

_3)  To “graduate”, you must kill one of your fellow classmates.  You may choose whatever method you prefer._

 

What little hope had maintained in Ray’s face quickly evaporated into despair.  The circumstances of everything began to slowly make its way into Ray’s brain.

 

_4)  In order to successfully graduate, you must follow up with any and all special procedures to be named at a later date._

 

 _5)  Rules may be added or removed at the headmaster’s request._   

 

Ray began shaking his head.  “No…  No, this has GOT to be a joke, right?  RIGHT?,” he yelled.

The screen soon returned to Headmaster Gus’ face, which was smiling plainly.  “Oh, and to be clear…  This is NOT a joke.  The locks to your classrooms will open in thirty minutes, so you can calm yourself down, and…  Think about everything!  Inside your pockets, you should see a small electronic PDA.  This will act as your ID and have all of the school rules inside of it!  Read it carefully!  Because if you break a school rule, I will kill you in the most delightfully painful manner possible!,” he said kindly.

The television shut off, and the world around Ray went quiet.

So utterly quiet.

 

_

??? - Floor 1 Hallways / ???

As the headmaster had promised, thirty minutes had passed, and the locks to the classrooms had opened.  Ray began roaming the notably dark hallways.  He would have been impressed at any other time, with the huge televisions that broadcast news constantly lining the walls.  Or perhaps the plethora of classrooms that he passed.  Or even the vending machines that had “free” written on them.  

Though his mind was elsewhere.  After a mild panic attack, he’d been glued to his small PDA, checking out the rather short list of school rules, to ensure that he…  Well, that he didn’t get offed anytime soon.

 

_1)  Violence against the headmaster is forbidden.  Punishment for this crime is immediate death._

_2)  After 10:00 PM, students are forbidden to leave their rooms for any reason.  Punishment for this crime is immediate death._

_3)  Students are forbidden from breaking any and all doors that are locked.  As the school year passes, doors will open to reveal new areas.  Punishment for this crime is immediate death._

_4)  Students who choose to kill are only permitted to kill ONE student.  Murder of multiple students is punishable by immediate death._

_5)  Boys are forbidden from entering girl areas.  Girls are forbidden from entering boy areas.  Punishment for this crime is determined by the offending party’s opposite gendered classmates._

 

 _“Simple enough, I guess,”_  Ray murmured to himself, turning a corner.

“HOLY SHIT, GUYS, THERE’S THE LAST ONE!,” yelled a loud male’s voice, with a thick Jersey accent.  

Looking up from his PDA, Ray was met with the rest of his classmates.  Recalling the student roster they’d all made together on FaceBook, he recognized all of them immediately.

 

Michael Jones, the “Super High School Rage Machine”, who was renowned throughout the nation as one of the most fierce some debaters.  He not only took his school to the national finals, but single-handedly WON the world debate competition.  His unique “rage” technique was oddly effective for whatever reason.  He was around Ray’s age, had a slight muscular build, and had a mop of curly red hair and glasses.  Hardly what anyone would expect out of a “rage machine”. 

“Motherfucking RAY, get your ass over here!  We’re BUSTING OUT!,” Michael shouted, returning to kicking a rather large steel-plated door that blocked the main entrance.

“Be careful Michael!,” shouted a skinny boy with sandy blond hair sticking up all over the place.  This boy was Gavin Free, the “Super High School Film Prodigy” that was known the world over for his advancements in slow-motion cinematography.  Ray had seen his works in some of Hollywood’s best blockbuster hits.  He was a skinny prick that looked like could be blown over by a strong wind.  Like Michael, Gavin was around their age.

Huffing, a girl with long red hair and an average figure rolled her eyes.  “Guys, you’ve been at that for like fifteen minutes now.  It’s not budging, so give it up!  Besides, it’s against school rules!,” she shouted.  Ray knew this girl as Lindsay Tuggey, the “Super High School Dancer”.  She was an online sensation who had some of the sickest break-dancing moves he’d ever seen.  Bitches didn’t have SHIT on her.

“I agree!  Guys, we should REALLY be careful!  If that creepy guy is right, he might…  Kill you!,” a worried looking girl asked.  This girl in question was gorgeous, wearing some of the finest fabrics that looked like something out of an anime.  Her candy red hair and glasses gave her identity away.  She was Meg Turney, the “Super High School Cosplayer”, who had been a successful model since age fourteen.  She was often regarded as one of the most beautiful individuals in the world, and was constantly invited to join Miss Universe pageants.  

Off to the side, a thin male with a goatee was having a conversation with someone else.  “This is like something out of a fucking horror flick,” he offered.  Based on his obnoxious hat, he could place the face.  He was Miles Luna, the “Super High School Director”.  He was a sci-fi wiz, and had basically put together one of the most depressing shows of all time.  Still he was well known and Hollywood wanted him constantly.

The man Miles had been talking to was a thin man of Korean descent, nodding in agreement.  “If we get out of here, I’m definitely turning this into a hit anime.  I can see it now…  The School of Despair!,” he said excitedly. Based on the outlandish wardrobe and pure white hair, Ray knew that this had to be Monty Oum, the “Super High School Animator” that had made his own anime at the age of thirteen, and who was steadily improving with each passing day.  Ray was a huge fan.

“Th….  This is crazy…,” another male was muttering in the corner, curled up in a ball defensively.  His blonde hair was clung to his sweating forehead, and he was gently crying, while an athletic man supported him.  The guy was Kerry Shawcross, the “Super High School Writer” that was known the world around as the best Harlequin Romance Novelist of a generation.  Though he also wrote some shitty novel about Orphans and angels, but everyone got sick of the sappy shit, so they abandoned that boat.

“Hey man, it’s going to be okay!  Relax!  We’ll find a way out or something!  That’s all there is to it!,” the athlete said optimistically, patting Kerry on the back.  Based on the muscles, the six pack, and the athletic garb, the man was Caleb Denecour, the “Super High School Frisbee King”, who was the winner of the Ultimate Frisbee competition three years running.  He was also rumored to be one of the nicest guys on the planet.

Murmuring to himself in a corner, Ray noted a small man with spiky black hair and glasses sketching something.  “The…  The despair…  IT’s just…  So beautiful.  And yet…  It’s mine too?,” the person said quietly to himself.  Ray smiled, realizing it was Patrick Rodriguez, the “Super High School Artist”, who made fantastic drawings of everything, ranging from Ray’s favorite video game characters, to abstract shit he really didn’t understand.

Back at the door, an explosion could be heard, as an aggravated male with wispy blonde hair grunted.  Holding a short-circuited laptop, the man threw it to the floor in frustration.  “Okay, that’s not going to work.  Back to kicking!,” he said loudly.  Seeing the tech stuff littered around him, there was no doubt that it was Ryan Haywood, the “Super High School Computer Whiz” that hacked the Pentagon successfully at age 15, and who was widely regarded as one of the most successful hackers in the globe.  The FBI wants him, and is likely why he’d been invited to Glitterbound.

Rolling his eyes, Ray saw another man collapse to the floor in frustration alongside two other men.  “It’s hopeless,” offered a strongly built male with wild pink hair.  That one was Austin Hartwick, another “Super High School Animator” that was known as Monty Oum’s Rival.  

Beside him, a man in Army Fatigues nodded alongside him.  “This bloody sucks.  Why’d I EVER agree to come here?,” asked the man.  Based on the muscles, the short cut hair, and impossible to mistake face, this was “Dan the Man”, the “Super High School Soldier”, who’d been a mercenary since he was thirteen, and had an impressive military career.  He was often called for black op missions.  Or at least, that was the rumor.

The last male of the three, a well dressed and well styled male with a large set of green headphones, just managed to shake his head.  “We should just give up and head to where the shitty guy said.  Maybe we’ll find more out there,” he offered.  Based on his headphones and overall air, it must have been JJ, the “Super High School Editor” that was a great video producer.  He’d made one of the most successful music videos of their generation.

Though just as they all managed to agree to JJ’s terms, one thought overwhelmed Ray.

“Wait…  Aren’t there supposed to be…  Fifteen of us?,” Ray asked.

The group exchanged nervous glances with each other, and nodded.

“Yeah, there’s just…  Fourteen here!,” Michael shouted.

Lindsay chuckled nervously.  “Oh…  Oh come on, he’s probably just late like Ray!  We could probably..  HEY!,” she shouted, watching as Michael dashed down the end of the hallway.  

After what seemed like half an hour, everyone could hear the footsteps come running back down.  Throwing himself outside the coordior, a pale-faced Michael was breathing incredibly hard.  “G…  GUYS!  COME ON!,” he shouted.

Doing as the man said, everyone followed after him, running around until they reached the very end of the classrooms.  Opening the door, everyone gasped and screeched at the sight.  

Laying on the ground, was the corpse of a young male with a well built figure, and brunette hair.  Blood was pooling from the back of his skull, and his eyes were completely lifeless.

Ray covered his mouth as nausea overtook him.  

Laying there was the fifteenth student.  Blaine Gipson, the “Super High School Luckster”, who had been randomly chosen out of millions of students to join the academy.

Someone whose luck…  Had obviously run out.

Before they even had a chance to properly respond, the television in the room turned on, and Gus’s face was sitting there, grinning.  “Congratulations!  Someone has been murdered!  Everyone should come to the gymnasium, and I’ll explain where we go from here!  And how one of you…  Might be going home ALREADY!,” he said giddily, unable to contain the look of joy on his face.

 


	2. Trust

Day 1 - Glitterbound Academy - 10:45 AM

 

At the behest of their “headmaster”, the fourteen remaining students of Glitterbound academy hurried into the gymnasium, hoping within the depths of their hear that this was just an incredibly bad joke.  Though as they entered the hard wooded area, which smelt of sweat and molt, all their fears were reassured.  

A large television set was standing at the main stage, where “Gus” was sitting.  Though he looked a tad different, wearing a solid red cape, and some sort of crown.  

“Oh great, a fucking king.  No, everything wasn’t QUITE weird enough yet!,” Michael shouted from the front, getting as close to the screen as possible.

The others weren’t quite as brave, keeping a respectable distance.

Gus chuckled to himself.  “Oh come now!  The great King Gus is merely here to proclaim the start of…  The Trial!,” he exclaimed loudly.

The students looked at each other confusingly.

“A trial?  Like…  With lawyers and stuff?,” Kerry asked from the back, raising his hand politely.

Gus, in an equal politeness, nodded his head towards the boy.  “Sort of!  You see, I’m sure you all read the part of the rules were not only must you MURDER one of your classmates to be free?  Well, you must also follow up with the proper procedures!  In the case, I’m speaking, of course, of a trial!  We are a civilized people, are we not?  Do we not try criminals who try to break the law?,” he asked rhetorically.

“So we can assume that you’re the judge?,” Miles asked, stepping forward with Michael.

Smiling, Gus rose his hand up high.  “BINGO!  I’m the judge, but YOU are the jury, the lawyers, and the investigators!,” he said.

“Explain,” Miles said again, folding his arms shut.  

Huffing, Gus’ good mood was swiftly melted away.  “How BORING.  I wanted more terrified screams!  Oh well…,” he said, ditching the shitty costume, and looking back to his usual professional self.    “You see, my dear students…  After a murder has been committed, there will be a one day grace of investigation time.  During this time, each of you must carefully examine the crime scene, and try your VERY best to figure out who the criminal was!  After the investigation time is over, we move on to the trial!  Anyone may speak up during the trial, to try and convince your peers of who they think is guilty!  At the end of the trial, and once ALL of the evidence has been presented, we will take a majority vote.  Each person, including the murderer his or her self, has a single vote.  The person will be declared “guilty” to whoever has the most votes,” Gus said.

Unperturbed, Michael shut his eyes.  “And if we pick the murderer as guilty?,” he asked.

“I kill him or her in the most horrible fashion imaginable!,” Gus replied.

The room went stone cold, and many stopped breathing for a few moments.

Though unmoved, Miles, stepped forward.  “And if we DON’T pick the right person?,” he asked in equal toughness.

Gus began picking his nose obnoxiously.  “Oh, I kill the rest of you in a horribly painful manner, and let the murderer go free.  That’s how they graduate!,” he said playfully, as if he were telling someone the time.

From stone cold silence came panic and fear, as everyone began to look at each other in fear and anxiety.  

Ray himself felt a cold sweat drip down his back.  

“We could all die…  If even ONE person is a good enough liar then…,” Ray thought to himself.

From the back, a very shaky Meg raised her hand up.  “Um…  Quick question!  If nobody saw the murder happen, how on earth are you supposed to know who’s REALLY guilty or not?!  That’s not really fair!,” she accursed.

Ray nodded his head in agreement.

“Smart girl,” he thought to himself.

Gus began laughing heartily.  “Oh that?!  Well don’t worry your pretty little head off Meg!,” he said, pointing up to the ceiling.  “You see those black orbs hanging everywhere?  The ones that look like lights?,” he asked.  

Everyone looked into the ceiling, and saw exactly what he was talking back.  Little black orbs hanging off the ceiling, like some tacky 70’s lamp.

“Those are surveillance cameras!  They are in every room in this building except for the bathrooms and showers.  I can see EVERYTHING you do, and you are being recorded 24/7!  So no monkey business or rule breaking, you got it?!  Because I’m ALWAYS watching!,’ Gus said playfully.

“WHAT?!,” every screamed in unison.

Dan sighed to the side.  “There goes my plan for faking deaths,” he murmured to himself.  

Clearly irritated, Gus was in no mood for anymore questions.  “Okay you fuckers, time to get down to business!  It’s INVESTIGATION time!,” he said in a celebratory fashion, pulling a party popper out of his ass and throwing confetti all over the camera that was recording him.

Beeps came from all around them, and Ray felt his PDA buzzing.  Picking it up, he opened a new message that had popped up.

 

The Death of Blaine Gibson

Cause of Death:  Blunt Force Trauma

Time of Death:  10:18 AM

Location of Death:  Classroom 15

 

Important Notes:

Headmaster’s Welcome Message Occurred at 9:30 AM.

All Fourteen Students Gathered in the Main Hall at 10:30 AM.  

Discovery of the Body Occurred at 10:36 AM.

 

Looking up from the notes, Ray watched Gus waving to the television set.  “Bye bye Fuckers!  The Trial will start at 10:30 AM tomorrow morning!  Meet in the front floor entrance!,” he yelled, quickly turning off the television as he did.

 

The room went silent for a few moments as everyone took in the information.  Though the silence was soon broken.

“Why the fuck you’d do it Ray?,” Michael asked darkly.

Ray’s head shot up, and he watched thirteen other faces look DIRECTLY at him.

“W…  WHAT?!,” Ray screamed back.

Michael shook his head.  “It could only be you.  Look at the facts of the case.  The time of death was at 10:18 PM.  You came and joined at at 10:30 AM.  You were the LAST to join up with everyone,” he explained.

His heart skipped several beats.  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I killed him!,” Ray screamed.

Miles chuckled.  “Actually, it does.  The rest of us exited the classrooms at the exact same time.  All thirteen of us.  The only two who didn’t join us was you and Blaine.  Which means, all of the rest of us have airtight alibis,” he said, rather smugly.  

“B…  But I didn’t-,” Ray started to say, but his words fell on deaf ears.  One by one, each of this classmates turned their backs on him, and exited the room.  

Michael, the last of them, stopped right in front of Ray and gave him a dark glare.  “Sick fuck.  I hope you rot in HELL,” he shouted.

Then, just like that, everyone was gone.  Alone, Ray could only shake in fear.

“ _The rear murderer….  Is going to get away with it!,”_

 

___

 

Day 1 : 11:15 AM - Classroom 15

 

The only one of the students who had opted to “investigate”, Ray found himself alone with Blaine’s corpse.  Though looking around everywhere, there wasn’t much in terms of “clues” to be found.  Phoenix Wright had lied to him.

“H…  Hey Ray?,” stammered out from the doorway.

Jumping a mile into the air, Ray turned around, seeing Gavin standing there.  

“G…  Gav?  It’s Gav, right?,” Ray asked.

The man nodded, and slowly walked toward him.  “Y…  You didn’t do it, did you?,” Gavin asked.

Ray shook his head.  “No, I didn’t.  I could never kill anyone!,” he said.

Gavin chuckled.  “I know.  Besides being a luckster, Blaine Gibson was a bodybuilder.  If you tried to kill him, he’d whoop your skinny ass!,” he offered.

His eyes widened.  “Hey..  That’s right!  Blaine is like TWICE my size and a bunch taller than me!,” Ray said.

Sadly, Gavin shook his head.  “That’s not really evidence though…  I mean, you COULD have snuck up on him and hit him in the back of the head!,” he said, pointing to Blaine’s bashed-in skull.

Looking over towards it, something immediately struck Ray as odd.  The point of contact, where the weapon had struck, was INCREDIBLY small, and looked more like a dent than a wound.  Scanning the room, nothing that even remotely looked like a murder weapon was in sight.  

Continuing to ponder, Gavin took a seat at one of the desks nearest Ray.  “The real question is, how did you…  UGH!,” he spat out, standing up from the chair immediately.  Gavin chucked his shirt off and threw it at the wall.

“What?!,” Ray asked.

Gavin was walking FAR away from the desk.  “There’s like..  VOMIT all over that desk!  And blood on the corner of it, and I stuck my ARM in it!  YUCK!  BLOODY GROSS!,” he spat out, trying his hardest not to vomit himself.

“Vomit?,” Ray wondered, seeing exactly what Gavin was talking about.  Turning back down, he saw a dribble on Blaine’s chin, confirming that the man had vomited before death.

Dry heaving in the wastepaper basket, Gavin was being of little help.

“Bloody drugs…  Messes me the bondemonger up,” Gavin stuttered.

Something else clicked in Ray’s head.  

“Drugs?,” he asked, in a peculiar tone.

Raising his head up, Gavin was still looking a tad green.  “Yeah, I mean…  They had to knock us out, right?  Anesthesia or some shit?  MAkes me bloody loony, that’s what!,” he said.  

Looking back at the pool of vomit on the floor, a single skid mark gave Ray all the information he needed for the trial.

 

______

 

The courtroom had been located in the basement, only a short elevator ride away.  Short of Gavin, not a single soul could look Ray in the face.  Still, he was grateful to have at least one friend standing by his side.  

Entering inside, Ray saw sixteen podiums in a circular pattern.  Once they had all taken their places, Ray assumed the last one was for Gus.  Though the large monitor in the back had his all too perky face on it.

On one of the podiums, however, was a small doll with Blaine’s picture taped on the front of it, lying face down.

He didn’t have much time to mourn, as Gus’s cackling voice game over them.

“Okay fuckers, let’s get this trial on the way!  Who wants to go first?!,” Gus asked.

Not waiting any further, Michael huffed angrily.

“The murderer is OBVIOUSLY Ray.  The time of death occurred when the rest of us were ALL together.  With everyone else alibi’d, it could ONLY be Ray,” Michael said vehemently.

“THAT’S WRONG!,” Ray shouted firmly.

The crowd of students looked at him in shock.

Michael grinned to himself.  “Oh?  What exactly was I wrong about?,” he asked.

Ray fiddled with his PDA, and showed everyone a picture of the crime scene, particularly, Blaine’s head.  “The time of death and the time that Blaine was attacked does not have to be precisely the same time.  Even though Blaine died from blunt force trauma, who’s to say the blunt force trauma didn’t happen EARLIER?,” he asked.

He rolled his eyes.  “Same difference.  No matter WHAT time it happened, the same situation will apply.  The rest of us were all together when he got hit.  That won’t change,” Michael said.

“It would if he died before the doors were unlocked,” Ray retorted.

The students all gasped, looked to each other for support.

“So you’re saying Blaine offed himself?  Bullshit,” Miles said from the side.

Ray shook his head.  “No.  I’m saying his death was an accident.  Look at this photo!,” he said, showing the PDA once more.  This photo showed the area in detail, including the vomit and the skid mark.  He made extra care to draw a circle around the edge of the sharp desk edge, that was covered in blood.  “Before he died, Blaine vomited.  When he got woken up by the Headmaster’s message, he tried to stand up.  But there was puke everywhere, and he slid on it.  The edge of the desk was REALLY sharp, which made  the dent on the back of his head, and caused all the blood loss.  He died after the doors unlocked, sure, but…  The killing blow happened before ANY of us could get in there!,” Ray offered.

Murmuring with each other, a majority of the students began to have looks of doubt plastering on their face.  

“Please, like we’re going to buy that!  If Blain hit his head hard enough, he would have died immediately!  Or let’s say he DID hit his head and bleed out.  It wouldn’t have taken an hour!,” Michael accused, unimpressed with Ray’s detective work.

“Actually…,” Kerry stammered, shocking the group as he spoke up.  Michael bore his eyes down on him, but the boy was unswayed.  “I…  I did research on a book once.  In a medical book.  They…  They say head injuries can bleed uncontrollably if not tended for.  Plus, even small cuts can bleed a lot.  One of my characters…  He got hit in the head, and bled out to death.  It took him…  About half an hour, but mine had a MUCH bigger weapon.  I’m sure if…  If we did the math, it’s..  Well, possible for it to happen!,” he explained.

Miles sighed.  “It doesn’t matter.  Aren’t you forgetting?  All of this is relying on the fact that Blaine vomited before he died.  How do we know this for a fact?  Isn’t it more likely that Ray tossed his cookies after killing Blain, and staged the crime scene to make that kind of excuse!,” he offered.

“THAT’S WRONG!” Ray shouted, slamming his hands on the podium.  

Unamused, Miles shook his head.  “Oh really?  Is there something wrong with my reasoning?  Prove it!,” he said.

Ray smiled.  “When we first woke up, did any of you guys feel…  Woozy?,” he asked.

Several students reluctantly raised their hands, but Gavin rose his hand up firmly.  “I was!  I was so sick that I almost barfed!  Actually, when I saw the body…  I did puke.  My stomach really hurt then,” he said.

Looking to his lone ally, Ray pointed towards him.  “Gavin!  Have you ever had an operation?,” he asked.

Blushing, Gavin looked down to his crotch, but didn’t say much.  “Uh…  Yeah,” he said.  

“Did you have anesthesia?,” Ray asked.

Gavin nodded.  “Yeah.  It made me sick as a do-” he began to say, shocked by his own admission.

Sensing the reasoning, Miles turned back to Ray, looking away from Gavin.  “That…  That might make sense.  You’re saying we were all drugged into getting us into the classrooms.  That Blaine got sick from the medication, like Gavin did.  It makes sense, but you have no proof,” he said smugly.

Ray’s smiled faded.  

“Furthermore, you still have no proof that ANYTHING you’re saying actually happened.  We don’t have the luxury of DNA testing.  There’s no way that we should believe ANYTHING you have to-”

“SHUT UP!,” Gavin said, interrupting Miles.

The room focused on him, watching him intently.

“Think about this for a second, really!  Did ANY of us really believe what Gus had to say at first?!  I mean really, didn’t we all think this was some prank or reality TV show?!  Would any of us…  MURDER someone in the first fifteen minutes?!  Would ANY of us actually lose our humanity THAT fast?,” Gavin shouted, with tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

Miles and Michael had nothing to add, though Meg stepped forward.  “Ray…  Ray was the guy that made our Facebook group.  He set us all up on skype!  He was…  He was the one I wanted to meet the most, because he was the FRIENDLIEST!  That dumb laugh, the stupid jokes, and everything!  Why don’t we believe him?  Are we all really THAT scared?!,” she asked firmly.

Across the room, Dan nodded.  “Ray doesn’t have the killer instinct.  If it hadn’t been for our alibis, he would have been the LAST person I’d ever expect to kill anyone.  To be honest, I thought he’d get offed first.  Have you SEEN him?  He’s a goddamn bean pole,” he said, unimpressed.

Michael left his podium and slowly walked towards Ray.  STanding face to face, he eyed him firmly.  “You realize what you’re asking of us, right?  You’re asking ALL of us to take on FAITH that you’re not the criminal.  That everything you’ve said is the truth.  That…  That we should TRUST you with our lives.  Why the fuck should we believe any of this?  You have a good theory, but no solid evidence.  Give me ONE good reason, and you better make it good,” he said.  

He didn’t take his gaze away from Michael’s.  Though his face wasn’t firm.  Instead, it was…  Soft, kind, and…  Gentle.  

“Michael.  I KNEW Blaine.  We Skyped constantly, just like I Skyped with all of you.  I couldn’t kill him.  Even if he tried to kill me first, I couldn’t raise my hand.  Since December, all I’ve wanted was to meet you guys, and make friends.  HAve someone to play games with, and stay up way too late with.  I couldn’t…  I couldn’t kill any of you.  You…  You know that.  I think…  Deep down, you all know that,” Ray said, smiling.  

Without looking back, Michael spun around and returned to his podium, not bothering to look at Ray.  

Gus, however, was giddily laughing.  “WELL then!  If nobody has anything else to say…  Let’s start the vote!,” he shouted.

Looking down at his podium, Ray saw the touch-screen light-up with fourteen faces.  One for each person still living, and a blank one labeled “?”.  Believing in himself, Ray pressed the “?”.  

“ALL DONE!  LETS SEE THE RESULTS,” Gus shouted.

Replacing the headmaster’s face was a tally board with each of their faces.  One by one, votes kept pouring in to the “?”.  One or two landed on Ray’s face, but the majority, in the end had been in his favor.

Gus’s face returned, and his face was not unlike that of grumpy cat.  “Aw….  You guys are NO FUN.  You got it right!,” he said, pouting.  

Nearly fainting on the spot, Ray flung down to the floor, breathing a hundred miles a minute.  He didn’t even bother listen to the Headmaster talking, because all he could think about was…  

“They trusted me…”


	3. Breaking Point

_To:[R_Narvaez@glitterbounddespair.com](mailto:R_Narvaez@glitterbounddespair.com)_

_From:[G_Sorola@glitterbounddespair.com](mailto:G_Sorola@glitterbounddespair.com)_

_Subject:  Special Announcement to all Glitterbound Academy Students_

_Okay you fuckers, it’s been a week, and NOBODY has killed anyone.  I am EXTREMELY disappointed in all of you, and hope you work harder to please your headmaster in the future._

_In the meantime, I’ve decided to play a little game with you all!  If nobody dies within the next day, I will personally ensure the death or destruction of your most beloved person and or/item._

_Your personal item is:  XBOX 360 Signed Developers Copy_

_Have a lovely day,_

_Headmaster Gus_

 

________________

 

After the first investigation, the student body had taken a week to get to know each other better, and search out the school for clues on how to escape.  

Michael, Gavin and Ray formed a fast friendship, and had a secret oath to look out for one and other.  

Miles, as everyone learned, was a complete and utter asshole who refused to look anyone in the eye.  

Kerry was a loner and completely insane, going ballistic anytime his name was remotely mentioned.  Though he seemed to get along well enough for with Monty and Austin, who were constantly at odds.

Dan, Meg and Lindsay formed an uneasy alliance, after the “soldier” offered to protect the only females himself.  Thinking it was trap to getting into their pants, Lindsay took down the professional soldier with grace and elegance.  Meg sat on him.  Though later he assured them it was a noble cause, and they hesitantly decided to trust him.  

Patrick, a rather colorful soul, barely did anything during the searching of the school, instead dedicating his time to “painting the beautiful colors of despair”.  

Stuck up in the computer lab, Ryan had been attempting for DAYS to get the internet working, breaking out in a cold sweat after the first day of isolation from his favorite websites.  JJ and Caleb had taken it upon themselves to help the poor guy out, who had resorted to screaming in terror at night.  

Despite their many differences, oddities and general craziness, everyone had agreed on one thing.  That NONE of them would ever murder.  So even with the headmaster’s notice, Meg thought nothing of traveling alone to the kitchen to grab a quick snack.  

“Hey LINDS, you want anything else?  I’m checking on Dan and seeing what’s taking so long!,” she yelled across the campus.

“CHOCOLATE!,” Lindsay shouted back.

Walking inside the kitchen, however, Lindsay’s words fell on deaf ears.  Because laying face down, on the cold tile floor, was Dan Grutchy.  In his chest, a steak knife was sticking out of it, and blood was pooling on the floor.  His eyes were lifeless, with the very light long since gone out of him.  Around him, discarded parts of a fruit salad and slices of cheese littered the floor.

A tear ran down her face, and meg turned around, screaming as loudly as she could to get everyone’s attention, while she fell to the floor herself, and covered the eyes from the horror.

 

_____

 

Murder Investigation #2

Student Name:  Dan Gruchy

Cause of Death:  Stab Wound in the Heart

 

Relevant facts to the case:

This was not a suicide.

The perpetrator is male.

 

Looking up from his PDA, Ray took at a glance at the room around him.  After a rather HEAVY argument from Michael, and several rounds of accusation going around, he had nicely asked them all to leave, so he could inspect the crime scene.  

Ray knelt down next to the corpse, and inspected the wound.  The knife was jabbed in tightly, down to the hilt.  It suggested that whoever had done it was of considerable strength, and of equal malic.  Furthermore, they overpowered a soldier, of all people.  Though based on the positioning on the right side of the victim’s body, the attacker must have been right handed.  

“Man…  Dan, this sucks,” Ray said, slowly closing the man’s eyes for him, out of respect.  Holding back his emotion, he looked away.  “Why?  Why did someone do this?,” he asked himself.

“Isn’t it clear?” Miles said, re-entering the kitchen area.  HIs arms were folded, and a grouchy sternness was overwhelming his demeanor.

Standing up, Ray watched him carefully, unsure of what to make of his presence.

Miles sighed.  “The notice?  The something or someone that would kget offed if a murder didn’t occur.  Obviously, someone thought killing a mercenary might have been the less evil option.  I mean, think about it, Dan probab killed dozens of people ly killed more people than any normal soldier.  Maybe even innocent people,” he explained.

Ray sighed, shaking his head.  “Doesn’t quite excuse it,” he mumbled.

Looking away, Miles turned around to exit the room.  “I know I’m not the only one relieved somebody died,” he said, rather mysteriously, as he walked off from the scene.

 

____

 

Ray had left the room for teh others to re-examine, for their own case discussions.  In the meantime, he walked back into the main commons area where the non-active party was staying.  A gigantic fountain was in the center of the room, with dozens of chairs and benches for anyone to sit in.  Gorgeous flora was everywhere, in a wide variety of colors.  It was, without a doubt, a literal rainforest indoors.

Taking a seat next to Meg, Ray huffed.  “I hate to ask, but…  Did Dan-”

She shook her head.  “I know who killed him Ray!  It has to be him!  It was Miles!,” Meg said angrily, but keeping her voice in a whisper.  It was, much like herself, very shaky and emotional.

Looking around to see if any of the others had caught on to it, he carefully leaned in next to her.  “Why do you say that?,” he asked.

Meg took several deep breaths, attempting to calm herself.  “He and Dan had a BIG fight last night.  Like REALLY big.  Miles was saying that Dan was dangerous because he was a solider and knew how to kill people REALLY quickly and without any evidence.  He was saying stuff like…  How Dan should be shackled to his room or something horrible!,” she explained in a low tone.

“What?!,” Ray exclaimed quietly next to her.

Wiping her eyes, Meg shook her head.  “Dan…  Dan wasn’t like that!  He was the sweetest guy in the world!  When I was really scared, it was him who offered to protect Lindsay and I!  Not that Lindsay needs protecting, but…  He was so nice!  He brought me coffee every morning, was making Lindsay and I a big snack for the movies we were going to watch that night when he died, and….  And….  He was my friend,” she said, hiccuping as the tears began to return.  

Ray took a deep breath.  “I’ll  look into it,” he said.

 

____

 

Hours passed before Miles left the crime scene, and was available to be spoken with privately.  Pulling him aside, Ray sighed heavily.  

“Man, listen, I’ll be straight with you.  Meg says you and Dan got in a big fight.  She’ll probably bring it up at the trial, so I just wanted to know what was going on,” Ray explained.

A paleness overtook Miles’ face.  “Wait,  WHAT?  Meg says Dan and I fought?  I mean, we did argue a bit, but I didn’t fucking punch him or anything!,” he asserted.

Ray looked him over.  He appeared very distressed.  “What did you guys talk about?  Meg said it was because you were frightened of Dan’s military skills,” he said, crossing his legs as he sat down on a nearby chair.

MIles rolled his eyes.  “Wouldn’t you be?!  That fucker could probably put us in a death grip and do it SILENTLY.  We don’t have fingerprint analysis, so we couldn’t prove it!,” he explained.  His generally cool atmosphere had completely melted, and the man was literally frantic.  Miles began pacing back and forth, spewing obscenities.  “FUCKING BULLSHIT!  MEG’S GOING TO POINT THE FINGER AT ME BECAUSE I LOST MY GODDAMN TEMPER!,” he shouted.  Turning to Ray, his eyes were gleaming over.  “YOU’VE GOT TO HELP ME!  RAY, I SWEAR TO GOD, I DIDN’T KILL HIM!  I DIDN’T HAVE A GOOD REASON!,” Miles yelled.

He slapped his face.  “Motive!  Motherfucking hell…  We don’t have a motive yet!  Who would kill him?  We were all getting along, so it doesn’t make sense!,” Ray said defeatedly.  

Miles looked directly at him.  “IDIOT!  I told you already!  Somebody had to kill him because of that notice we got!  Somebody must have had someone or something SO important that they couldn’t let it die,” he re-explained for the second time.

Taking a few moments to himself, Ray pointed to Miles’ PDA.  Show me what your thing said.  What you would have lost, you know,” he ordered.

Reluctantly, Miles pulled his PDA from his front button-up pocket and rummaged through the various messages.  He finally handed it over to Ray, who examined it.  

 

Your object to be destroyed is:  The entire Red Versus Blue script and all data files associated with the project

 

Ray looked back up at him.  “That’s a…  Pretty damn good reason.  Lose that stuff, and you’d be fucking screwed, you know,” he said.

The man chuckled, pulling something from the inside of his shirt.  Hung around a laniyard, Miles began twirling a rather large flash drive.  “Please, do you think I’m THAT stupid?  They could burn down my entire studio, but I’d still have this baby!  This flash drive has my entire life’s work on it.  Furthermore, I have three more just like it hidden in places that nobody could ever hope to find.  That threat was empty, and I knew it,” Miles responded.

Satisfied, Ray returned the man’s PDA.  “Okay then, I’m 70% sure you’re innocent now.  So that just leaves 12 other people to investigate.  Though I doubt any of them are going to be as…  Forthcoming as you,” he said.

Miles folded his arms.  “Actually, I may be able to narrow it down a bit.  You know when the email came out at around noon?  Well, I saw three people run off upset after reading it.  Patrick, Gavin, and Caleb.  Everyone else didn’t seem as bothered by it as them, or they hid it well.  But, at least you have a start,” he said.  

Standing up from his seat, Ray stretched out.  “Okay then, you take Patrick.  I’ll talk to Gavin and Caleb  myself,” he explained. walking off towards the exit to the side room.

“Hey Ray!,” Miles shouted.

Turning back around, he stopped at the door.  “Yeah?,” Ray asked.

Miles began staring into his shoes, and threw his hands into his pockets.  “Why are you helping me?  I mean, I…  I tried to get you killed last week,” he mumbled.

Ray shrugged.  “Meh, water under the bridge.  I did look pretty guilty, you know.  But I knew I was innocent, so…  I guess I know how you feel,” he said, with a smile.

Managing a smile, Miles pulled up his watch, looking at it firmly on his right hand.  “We don’t have much time.  We need to get going,” he instructed, moving at a hasted pace, and pushing past Ray to get outside the door.

 

____

 

In the men’s lounge, Ray had brought both Caleb and Gavin onto a nearby couch, explaining the investigation to them.  Though he hadn’t mentioned his conversation with Miles.

Caleb took a cup of coffee from Ray, and blew into it slowly.  “It’s just..  It’s so fucking messed up.  Poor Dan, getting stabbed like he did, making a snack for him and the girls.  It’s just…  Wrong,” he said, finally sipping the warm beverage.  

Having declined coffee, Gavin’s face wasn’t faring well.  “Dan was…  My buddy.  It’s just…  You know, you expect certain things to happen when you’ve got a soldier for a friend, but not…  Not like…  Not like…,” he stammered out, throwing his face into his hands and suppressing several loud sobs.

Looking up from his own mug, Ray looked away from his distraught friend.  “So…  I hear that the only real motive we’re going on is the message everyone got.  What..  What did it say you guys would lose?,” he asked, innocently enough.

Gavin remained caught up in his thoughts, not moving his head.  “My cat, Lloyd.  I love him, but…  I wouldn’t let…,” he began to stammer out, stopping himself as the air failed to find its way out of his lungs, choking on his own breath.  

Looking to the top left of himself, Caleb sighed, moving his coffee cup in front of himself.  “Just my trophies.  Not a big deal,” he muttered exasperatedly.  Fidgeting in his seat, the man began to blink a little more often than usual.

Ray’s face piqued, but remained as bold as it could.

 

_

 

The trial had come all too soon, after a day of ultimately futile investigation.  Besides the knife, there had been little to no evidence at all.  The act was done instantly, likely in an act of rage, and the criminal left the scene immediately after.

Entering the mock courtroom, Ray immediately took note of Dan’s photograph, now accompanying Blaine’s.  

“OKAY YOU FUCKERS, GET TO IT!  I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO TODAY’S LITTLE… GAME,” he yelled, sounding almost…  Aroused by the entire situation.

Clearing his throat, Michael stood forward.  “Let’s begin with going over the basics.  The cause of death was a stab wound to the chest, which punctured the heart.  It was not a suicide, and based on the position of the knife, and assuming there was a temporary struggle, the killer must have been right handed.  Oh, and based on the evidence given to us by the headmaster, the culprit is a male.  Can we all agree to this?,” he asked.

Unanimous mutterings covered the room.

“Very well then.  Let’s move on to the next part of the trial, which would be narrowing down the suspects.  Since there was little to no actual evidence, we’re relying on motive now,” Michael continued.

Slamming her hands on the podium, Meg caught everyone’s attention.  “It HAD to be Miles!  He and Dan got in a BIG argument yesterday!  Miles wanted Dan to be out of the picture, because he was dangerous with his military training!  He’d suggested just locking Dan in a room, but when Dan refused, things got UGLY,” she said.  

“BULLSHIT!,” MIles shouted back.  “I was just saying what everyone else was thinking.  Nothing more, nothing less.  I wouldn’t have KILLED him over that,” he asserted.

Meg guffawed.  “Oh please, you’re the only one here with a motive, and you’re a grade A asshole.  IT HAS TO BE YOU!,” she screamed, letting her emotions wash over her.  

“Actually, that’s not true,” Ray said calmly.

His classmates quickly turned to the man, with glances of reverence.

“Look at his right arm.  What’s on it  Meg?,” Ray asked.

Looking quickly, her face became askew.  “A…  Watch?  So what?,” Meg asked.

Ray smiled.  “People generally wear their watches on the arm opposite their dominant hand.  So it goes without saying that Miles is most likely left handed,” he explained.

Interrupting them, Gus began ringing a bell obnoxiously.  “GOOD CATCH!  Miles is the only left handed person in the whole school!  Well, besides BLaine, but he’s dead, so who cares?!,” he yelled inappropriately.

Turning to Meg, Michael shook his head.  “If that is the case, then Miles couldn’t have been the murderer,” he remarked.

Unsatisfied, Meg pouted and folded her arms.

Slightly less nervous, Miles adjusted his glasses.  “Moving forward, we now need to determine the REAL motive.  I’m sure you all recieved Gus’ message about what would happen if a murder did not occur?  I’d like to present taht this is our only remaining motive that makes any sense,” he replied.

The group, more or less, nodded in agreement.  

Taking his cue, Ray stepped forward and leaned over the railing.  “So, as much as I hate to do this, I have to talk about the three people who seemed most upset about the message.  Gavin, Patrick and Caleb,” he said, pointing to each of them.

Gavin’s faced dropped like a rock, and most of the color escaped him.

“Though Gavin couldn’t be the murderer.  At the time of murder, he was with me and Michael playing video games in my room,” Ray said proudly, with a thumbs up.

Sighing in relief, Gavin slowly put himself to the floor, falling backwards.

“Patrick explained to me that his object of destruction would be his studio.  Though that’s not a very good reason to murder someone, of course,” MIles remarked.

Patrick nodded.  “I can always re-make a painting.  Can’t re-make a life.  Well, in the real world anyway, you see, I’ve got this theory that-”

Ignoring the rambling artist, the trial continued as eyes turned over to Ray.  “Gavin was threateend with his cat, Lloyd, and CAleb’s trophies were in danger.  Again, not very good reasons to murder anyone, no matter how much of a cat lover you were,” he explained.

CAleb shook his head.  “YEah, but as far as I can tell, Gavin’s the only one who’s had a living thing being threatened.  He’s also kind of an overprotective, emotional nut.  I mean, he tried to cover your ass, remember?  Maybe you’re forgetting when he went to the bathroom or something?,” he retorted.

“YEah.  An over-emotional person would kill someone, his best friend, over a cat.  That makes perfect fucking sense,” Michael said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“Then who else COULD it be?  I guess we should probably look at-,” Caleb said.

Clearing his throat, the group turned back to Ray.  “Actually, there was something wrong about what you said Caleb,” he said.  

“Huh?” the man replied.

“Well, I mean…  If one of you guys LIED about your thing, that’d be another thing entirely,” Ray say smugly.

A loud group of whispers began echoing in the room.

“Oh?  Who lied?,” Caleb asked innocently.

Ray took a deep breath, and rose his hand up.  Pointing across from himself, Ray pointed directly at Caleb.  “You did,” he said.

“ME?!,” Caleb yelled back.

Nodding, Ray crossed his arms.  “Haven’t you ever seen an episode of NCIS?  THe easiest way to tell if someone’s lying is by seeing which way they look with their eyes.  You looked away from me, and started blinking a lot.  You covered your mouth with your coffee mug so I couldn’t see your face.  All classic signs of a lie,” he explained.

“This is insane,” Caleb said, chuckling it off as a joke.

Ray shook his head.  “There’s more to this.  You knew more about the crime then you should have.  It was something you said, when we were in the lounge.  Caleb…  How did you know that Dan was making a snack for him and the girls that night?  That seems like such an odd thing to know.  Almost as if…  You had a conversation with the victim,” Ray asked darkly.

The man’s face fell.  “I uh…  I was just-”

Lindsay turned to Meg.  “We didn’t…  Talk to Caleb today, did we?,” she asked.

Meg shook her head, and turned to face Caleb with a newfound level of death-stare.

“You and Dan talked before he died, didn’t you?,” Ray exclaimed.

“Of course not!  I-” Caleb shouted

“You throw frisbees with your right hand, right?,” Ray continued, holding his stoic gaze.

“So do a lot of other people!  I,” Caleb said frantically, slowly losing any composure he once held.

“You’re an athlete.  Probably one of the only people in this whole school who MIGHT be able to keep pace with Dan and have reflexes on par with him.  You don’t have the training, but if you surprised him, there might have been a chance,” Ray explained.

“SO IS LINDSAY!  MICHAEL LOOKS LIKE HE COULD KILL PEOPLE TOO!,” Caleb screamed, losing his filter quickly.

Ray shut his eyes tightly.  “Caleb…  What did your message say on the PDA?  The REAL message.  The thing you lied about.  I took your word before, but…  I need to know,” he said, reopening his eyes as a tear fell down his cheek.  “Why’d you kill him?,” he asked.

The room went silent.

Caleb’s body began shaking wildly, and he collapsed to his knees.  Loud, audible sobs began coming from his body.  He covered his face in shame, shaking his head wildly.  “MY MOM, OKAY?  THAT BASTARD WAS GOING TO KILL MY MOM, MY BROTHERS, MY DAD, MY GIRLFRIEND, AND EVERYTHING THAT MEANT ANYTHING TO ME!,” he screeched.

Audible gasps were coming from the room, and several people watched in agony as the man they’d once called friend slowly lost his mind.  

Though, he stood back up and bore a dark glare Gus’ way.  “YOU KNOW WHAT THAT FUCKING BASTARD GOT FOR HIS SHITTY DESTRUCTION ITEM?  HIS FUCKING GUN NAMED SUE!!  SOME LAME-ASS GUN THAT WAS SPECIAL TO HIM!  HE BRAGGED ABOUT IT!  THAT BASTARD!  SAID HOW LUCKY HE WAS THAT HE DID HAVE ANYTHING SPECIAL TO CARE ABOUT!  HE LAUGHED!  THAT MONSTER LAUGHED!,” Caleb screamed.  

With a skip of a beat,  Ray’s heart panged painfully in his chest.  His own item of destruction had been equally invaluable in the long run of things.  In fact, the only individuals who had living things threatened had been Gavin’s cat and Caleb’s family.

Caleb slowly stood up and faced the rest of his comrades.  “Say what you will.  I don’t regret it.  My family is safe, and that’s all there is to it.  The rest of you?  You…  You couldn’t possibly understand.  I DID THE RIGHT THING, GODDAMNIT!,” he said.

“Liar,” Miles said angrily.

The group spun around to the man, who was shaking violently.

“You’re a bastard.  You nearly got EVERY one of us killed!  If you REALLY felt like you did things right, then you would have come forward immediately!  You wouldn’t have hidden yourself, and would have told everyone the truth.  At least then, I would have respected you!  But no…  You’re just a murderer.  A common, pathetic, murderer.  Someone who killed, and who wanted to get out in the end,” Miles spat out bitterly.

Caleb remained surprisingly quiet afterwards.

“As fascinating as this is, I believe it’s high time we moved onto the voting, wouldn’t you say?,” Gus exclaimed from the video monitor.  

The usual interface appeared before Ray.  Sadly, he selected Caleb’s photograph on-screen.  

Glancing upward, it had been a unanimous decision.  Even Caleb had voted for himself.

Gleefully, Gus began clapping his hands together.  “OH GOODIE GOODIE!  WE FINALLY GOT OUR FIRST MURDERER!  CONGRATULATIONS CALEB!  You win a one way ticket to the pit of sharp and pointy knives!,” he exclaimed giddly.  Smashing a button in front of him, Gus triggered a trap door underneath Caleb, which hurdled him quickly underound.

The sound of his screaming stopped, after a long echo, and the sound of skin impaling on a sharp substance.  An image which was, thankfully, spared from their views.

 

-

 

Back in his bedroom, Ray’s after-shower dampness began to seep into his bed.  Though he didn’t particularly care, as he’d long since lost all feeling in his body since that afternoon.

Sighing, he tried to block out all the thoughts that were running in his head.  Except, however, for one.

“What if…  What if it had been my mom and family?  Would i have…  Would I have done the same thing?”


End file.
